A large number of illicit firearms entered civilian possession as a result of the separatist conflicts and civil war in the early 1990s. Most of these still remain unaccounted for and their adverse impact on crime levels, public health and human security is of great concern to Georgian civil society and a drain on state resources. Weapons collection campaigns have achieved very limited success, arguably because they have not been carried out as part of an integrated and systematic national approach to SALW control.

This situation was further compounded by the continued presence of foreign military bases on Georgian territory, limited state capacity to control SALW proliferation and misuse, and an ineffective law enforcement system. While there have been some legislative, technical and capacity improvements in these areas in recent years, they remain contributing factors to low levels of human security in some regions.

According to the 2006 survey, 159,000 registered small arms were in the hands of individual citizens and legal entities, and it was estimated that up to 250,000 firearms could be illegally held in the country.²

There are also considerable shortfalls in Georgia's arms transfer control system. This is particularly significant given that the country has been actively importing weapons in recent years and that in future this is likely to produce a situation where Georgia may wish to export its surplus SALW.

The survey concluded that the demand for weapons among the general population was primarily caused by the perception of insecurity, the fear of crime and the existence of a “gun culture”. This rationale is backed up by the experience of Georgian civil society organizations working on SALW and related issues.

under the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) Georgia has committed to introducing and implementing effective measures aimed at SALW control including: preventing and combating illicit SALW production and trafficking; ensuring effective controls on the legal production and transfer of SALW; weapons collection and destruction; management and security of state stockpiles; information exchange and transparency on SALW issues. As a measure intended to facilitate and improve efforts aimed at SALW control in line with its commitments under the UN PoA, an inter-agency SALW Monitoring Group was established in Georgia by Presidential decree in June 2005. This body was created under the National Security Council's Military-Technical Commission (MTC). However, in October 2005 the Group was dissolved after the MTC was withdrawn from the auspices of the National Security Council and subordinated to the Ministry of Defence.

in the EU-Georgia European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan (ENP AP), Georgia undertakes to “Cooperate on implementing the provisions of the OSCE Document on SALW, OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition and OSCE Best Practice Guide on SALW” as well as to „Improve internal legislation in line with the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports“ (Section 4.1.2 „Cooperation on foreign and security policy, conflict prevention and crisis management”).

Georgia's Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO (IPAP), commits it to “Conduct a full inventory of all equipment and munitions” and “Develop and implement a plan to safely store usable ammunition, and to dispose of excess and unsafe munitions, as well as small arms and light weapons”. According to the 2007 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) prepared by the Georgian Defence Ministry, the country has met all its obligations assumed under the IPAP in parts relating to armaments cooperation. In particular, a database on weaponry containing an inventory has been created as part of the MOD's resource management system.

Having acknowledged the problem of SALW proliferation, the government of President Saakashvili that came to power in 2003 initiated reforms aimed at strengthening internal security, establishing tighter control of small arms holdings by law enforcement bodies and fighting corruption with implications for SALW control.

The introduction of a new policing system (patrol police and community-based police) has had a notably positive impact on public security. An increased trust in the police and improved recording procedures have resulted in more firearm crimes recorded and solved by the police, while the General Prosecutor's Office's increased capacity to record and track criminal procedures has also improved. Nonetheless, enforcement of the existing legal provisions governing SALW possession and control, as well as provision of human security by the state, need to be further improved.

Since 2005, a general amnesty for the voluntary surrender of illegal weapons (provided these have not been used in criminal activities) has been in place. However, a disappointingly low number of firearms have been recovered in the course of the amnesty and several related collection campaigns that have been undertaken.

improving human security and reducing the impact of small arms misuse

improving control of legal weapons

ensuring strict control over state arms holdings

strengthening the regulation of international arms transfers

improving border management policy and practice

increasing transparency and government accountability, including engaging more deeply with civil society and

improving co-ordination and policy formulation

national policies for SALW control are in place and guide the development and implementation of comprehensive legislation and regulations which are based on relevant international law, agreements and best practice

the Georgian Government has the capacity to implement international, regional and national commitments on SALW control effectively

the public and civil society groups participate in the development and oversight of decision making on SALW policy and legislation and in its implementation

the Georgian Government cooperates and exchanges regular information at regional and international levels

SALW control policies and practices are coordinated and where appropriate, integrated with other relevant issues (security, social policy and reconciliation and postconflict recovery)

SALW control policies are implemented in communities affected by SALW proliferation and misuse, and the policies have a tangible impact on the security of those communities

effective weapons collection and amnesty programmes. In order for amnesty campaigns to be effective they should be designed in consultation with affected communities, time-bound and targeted in areas with high levels of illegal possession (eg Samegrelo-Svaneti, Kvemo Kartli)

changes to legislation governing civilian possession. Applicants for firearms licences should be required to undergo and pass a standard training course in the use and storage of firearms before being issued with a licence

dissemination of information on the licensing system. Information should be widely distributed, the relevant laws need to be translated into Azeri, Armenian and other non-Georgian languages and information packs on firearms registration should be distributed to minority communities

new legislation to regulate private security firms

small arms awareness programmes to challenge widespread public acceptance of weapons possession. These campaigns should be targeted particularly at those communities or social groups that exhibit significant demand for weapons (Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli and young people). The government can tap into the strengths of civil society organizations that are experienced in running public campaigns and are generally closer to the public

introducing strict penalties for the illegal possession and use of firearms

new procedures and internal enforcement regulations. Changes in national legislation should be accompanied and reinforced with new procedures and internal agency regulations in order to enable law enforcers to execute the law properly, for example, a State Weapons Register should be created after all relevant state agencies agree on a categorization of weapons, especially regarding the distinction between civilian and military weaponry; strict penalties should be introduced for the illegal possession and use of firearms

strengthening the regulation of international SALW transfers

ensuring effective control of state SALW holdings

improving coordination and policy formulation

improving transparency and information sharing

increasing parliamentary oversight of, and participation in, security policy development including SALW control

foster dialogue between the Georgian Government and civil society on the actions required to control the ownership, use and transfer of SALW and on related security issues

implement Georgia's obligations to increase civil participation in the security area assumed under cooperation agreements with international security institutions (strengthening Intensive Dialogue with NATO and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan)

ensure that civil society is represented on the national commission on SALW

invite civil society organisations for public hearings in Parliament on issues relating to SALW control and human security

include civil society representatives as members of Georgian delegations to relevant international meetings on SALW, including the Biennial Meeting of States toassess the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on SALW in 2008

უკანონო ცეცხლსასროლი იარაღის დიდი რაოდენობა სამოქალაქო ფლობაში 1990-ია-ნი წლების დასაწყისის სეპარატისტული კონფლიქტებისა და სამოქალაქო ომის შედეგად მოხვდა. ამ იარაღის უმეტესობა კვლავ აღურიცხავი რჩება, და მისი უარყოფითი ზეგავლენა დანაშაულის დონეზე, საზოგადოებრივ ჯანდაცვაზე და პიროვნულ უსაფრთხოებაზე აშფოთებს ქართულ სამოქალაქო საზოგადოებას და მძიმე ტვირთად აწევს სახელმწიფოს რესურსებს. იარაღის ამოღების კამპანიებმა მეტად მოკრძალებულ წარმატებას მიაღწიეს, სავარაუდოდ იმიტომ, რომ მათი განხორციელება არ იყო მსუბუქი იარაღის კონტროლისადმი ერთიანი სისტემატური ეროვნული მიდგომის ნაწილი.

ამ სიტუაციას კიდევ უფრო ართულებდა უცხოური სამხედრო ბაზების არსებობა საქართველოს ტერიტორიაზე, სახელმწიფოს შეზღუდული შესაძლებლობები აკონტროლოს მსუბუქი იარაღის გავრცელება და მისი უკანონო გამოყენება და აგრეთვე, კანონის აღსრულების არაეფექტური სისტემა. მიუხედავად ბოლო წლებში განხორციელებული საკანონმდებლო, ტექნიკური და სისტემური ცვლილებებისა ზემოთხსენებულ სფეროებში, აღნიშნულ ფაქტორები კვლავაც უარყოფითად მოქმედებს ადამიანური უსაფრთხოების დონეზე ზოგიერთ რეგიონში.

2006 წელს ჩატარებული კვლევის თანახმად, კერძო და იურიდიული პირების მფლობელობაში 159,000 ერთეული მსუბუქი იარაღი იყო, და ავტორთა შეფასებით, ქვეყანაში უკანონო მფლობელობაში ცეცხლსასროლი იარაღის გაცილებით მეტი ერთეული არსებობდა.

კვლევამ დაასკვნა, რომ საზოგადოებაში იარაღზე მოთხოვნა ძირითადად დაუცველობის გრძნობის, დამნაშავეების შიშითა და „იარაღის კულტის“ არსებობითაა განპირობებული. ამ მოსაზრებას ამყარებს მსუბუქი იარაღის და მასთან დაკავშირებულ პრობლემატიკაზე მომუშავე ქართული სამოქალაქო სექტორის ორგანიზაციების გამოცდილებაც.

გარდა ამისა, არსებობს მნიშვნელოვანი ნაკლოვანებები საქართველოს იარაღის ბრუნვის კონტროლის სახელმწიფო სისტემაში. ეს განსაკუთრებით მნიშვნელოვანია იმის გათვალისწინებით, რომ ქვეყანაში ბოლო წლების განმავლობაში დიდი რაოდენობით შეიარაღების იმპორტი განხორციელდა, რამაც მომავალში შესაძლოა გამოიწვიოს ის, რომ საქართველოს დასჭირდეს ჭარბი მსუბუქი იარაღის ექსპორტის განხორციელება.